WellesleyWeston Magazine

FALL 2018

Launched in 2005, WellesleyWeston Magazine is a quarterly publication tailored to Wellesley and Weston residents and edited to enrich the experience of living in two of Massachusetts' most desirable communities.

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"Our graduates hold the potential to lift their families out of poverty
since many of the girls' fathers are seasonal farmers," comments Patti.
"Even in a male-dominated society, the fathers have come to under-
stand one benefit of their daughters' educations — a steady paycheck.
And many fathers who are illiterate themselves are truly proud of their
daughters' academic accomplishments."
Nine other Zabuli graduates are currently attending university. With
financial aid and transportation provided by RRH, eight young women
are enrolled in the immersive English language preparatory year at the
American University of Afghanistan in Kabul. One graduate attends
university in Istanbul on scholarship, with her goal to complete medical
school. Three other graduates hold teaching assistant jobs.
And while five of the young women graduates are married and one
already has a baby, all of the Zabuli alumnae are empowered to carve
out a better life for themselves and their families. At the very least, it's
unlikely their children will be illiterate. The young mother even gained
support from her husband to attend midwifery training when her baby
turns one year old.
These students' accomplishments achieved against all odds are the
result of the tireless efforts of a small group of Zabuli teachers and ad-
ministrators, RRH staff, as well as of dedicated supporters. Razia, Patti,
and their team pushed back when others told them their work was a
futile cause. "Now that we have a ten year history of growing impact, we
are being taken more seriously. Our goal is to fund continued growth
through grant money, as well," said Patti, who aims to build an endow-
ment for the foundation to carry the school forward in perpetuity. "First
we saw how education changed the girls. Then we witnessed how edu-
cation changed the girls' relationships with their parents, and now 10
years in we are seeing how education brings posi-
tive change to the villages in which our girls' fami-
lies live," added Razia.
Razia expresses deep pride in her students' tri-
umphs, writing them a message in the yearbook the
foundation creates for each graduate, "What you
have accomplished today is beyond my expecta-
tions, but not beyond my dreams. You have opened
the doors of knowledge and freedom in your life
and that achievement can never be taken from you."
Moving Afghan communities from ignorance
to knowledge, repression to freedom, darkness to
hope. That is the legacy of the Razia's Ray of Hope
Foundation.
You can help a girl become educated. Receive a photo of your sponsored
student, updated annually upon renewal, along with her biographical
introduction. Enjoy a personal handwritten letter, too, often decorated with
colorful pencil drawings. It's a great gift for a student in your life who
understandably may take his or her education for granted.
raziasrayofhope.org/sponsorship-enrollment.html
SPONSOR A GIRL'S EDUCATION
For Only $35 a Month
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Razia's Ray of Hope Foundation
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